CHAPTER TEN
DESSERTS AND CAKES
ONE OR SEVERAL of the following processes will be a part of almost any dessert or cake recipe you encounter. Some can be accomplished by machine, others are better performed by hand. None is difficult, but all contribute to the success of your dish and must be done precisely.
Innumerable desserts, as well as soufflés and all the spongecakes, call for stiffly beaten egg whites. Successful cooking of any of these dishes is usually dependent on how voluminous and stiff you have beaten the egg whites, and how carefully you have folded them into the rest of the ingredients. As they are so important, we shall continually put in little reminders and warnings about them. Directions and illustrations for egg whites begin, in the Entrée chapter. You will note that in all the recipes for beaten egg whites in this chapter a tablespoon of sugar is whipped into them near the end of the beating; this gives them an added bit of stiffness and body. You will also note that egg whites may be folded into either a hot or a cold sauce or batter; unlike whipped cream, which liquefies when it comes in contact with hot ingredients, egg whites are actually given a boost.
BEATING EGGS AND SUGAR TO FORM THE RIBBON
Whenever egg yolks and sugar are beaten together the recipe will say to continue beating “until the mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon.” This prepares the egg yolks so that they can be heated without turning granular. To accomplish it, add the sugar gradually to the egg yolks in a mixing bowl while beating with a wire whip or an electric beater; continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture will turn a pale, creamy yellow, and thicken enough so that when a bit is lifted in the beater, it will fall back into the bowl forming a slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface of the mixture. Do not beat beyond this point or the egg yolks may become granular.
WHIPPED CREAM
As used in French cooking, whipped cream should double in volume, and be light, smooth, and free from granules. Much the same principles apply to it as to the beating of egg whites, in that you must incorporate as much air as possible. The stationary electric beater never produces as smooth and light a cream as could be wished; the electric blender is not recommended at all. For success every time, beat your chilled heavy cream with a large balloon whip or hand-held electric beater in a large metal bowl set in another, larger bowl containing a tray of ice cubes and water to cover them. It will take you 4 to 5 minutes to whip cream until the beater leaves light traces on the surface, and worth every minute to achieve an unbelievably beautiful and tender texture.
Warning
If whipped cream is to be folded into other ingredients, be sure the other ingredients are cold; otherwise the cream will lose its stiffness and thin out.
A note on French cream
Although French crème fraîche and American whipping cream both contain approximately the same amount of butter fat, the consistency of French cream is thicker because it is slightly fermented. It must be thinned before whipping by the addition of 1 part of cold milk, iced water, or shaved ice for every 3 parts of cream.
This is lightly beaten cream, which is usually specified for such desserts as Bavarian cream, and for dessert sauces.
For about 2 cups
½ pint (1 cup) chilled whipping cream
A 3-quart metal bowl set over a bowl with ice cubes and water to cover them
A large balloon whip or a portable electric beater
Pour the cream into the bowl set over ice, and beat it slowly until it begins to foam, while circulating the beater all around the bowl and lifting the cream as you whip it. Gradually increase the beating speed to moderate and continue until the beater leaves light traces on the surface of the cream. A bit of cream lifted and dropped on the surface will softly retain its shape.
Stiffly beaten cream
For desserts which require more body, continue beating a few seconds more until the cream is a little bit stiffer and forms soft peaks. Do not beat beyond this stage or the cream will become granular, and then begin to turn into butter.
Storing whipped cream
Once cream is whipped, it will keep for several hours under refrigeration. As it usually exudes a bit of liquid, it is a good idea to turn it into a fine-meshed sieve and place the sieve over a bowl. This allows any seeping liquid to drop out of the cream.
Flavored whipped cream
Before serving, fold in 2 tablespoons of sifted powdered sugar and a tablespoon or two of brandy, rum, or sweet liqueur, or a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract.
CREAMING BUTTER AND SUGAR
Numerous dessert and cake recipes direct that butter and sugar be creamed together; this may be accomplished either by machine or by hand.
Electric Beater Use the pastry-blender attachment if you have one; you may use the regular beater, but the blades will become clogged. Cut the butter into ½-inch pieces. Warm the large mixing bowl in hot water. Dry it, add the butter and sugar, and beat at a moderate speed for several minutes. The mixture is ready to be used when it is light, fluffy, and a pale ivory color.
Hand Beating If the butter has been left at room temperature for an hour to soften, simply beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl for several minutes until they form a light, fluffy mass. For cold, hard butter, use the following system: Cut the butter into ½-inch pieces and place it with the sugar in a mixing bowl set over barely simmering water. Beat with a wooden spoon for several seconds until the butter softens. Then set the bowl in a basin of cold water and beat for a minute or two until the mixture is light, fluffy, and a pale ivory color.
MELTED CHOCOLATE
Because baking chocolate burns easily, it needs special treatment. We find it best to break the chocolate into small pieces (or use chocolate drops: 2 ounces make ⅓ cup). Place the chocolate in a small covered saucepan by itself, or with the liquid specified in your recipe; set the pan in another, larger pan of simmering water, and at once remove the larger pan from heat. In 4 to 5 minutes your chocolate will be perfectly melted and smooth. Keep it in the warm water until ready to use.
ALMONDS
Whole, slivered, and powdered almonds have many uses in French pastries and desserts. Luckily you can buy blanched almonds in airtight cans at almost any American market, and although you do not often see powdered almonds, they pulverize easily in the blender or processor. You will note that all the recipes which use almonds also call for a bit of almond extract to bring out the almond taste. This is not necessary in France, as one or two bitter almonds are always included. But as the oil of bitter almonds is poisonous when taken in too large a quantity, it can only be bought with a doctor’s prescription in this country. But be careful with almond extract. It is strong; a few drops or a quarter teaspoon are usually sufficient.
Measurements Four ounces of whole, broken, or powdered almonds are equivalent to about ¾ cup or 125 grams.
Blanched Almonds Drop shelled almonds into boiling water and boil 1 minute. Drain. Squeeze each almond between the thumb and forefinger, and the almond will slip out of its skin. Spread the blanched almonds in a roasting pan and dry them out for 5 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
Pulverized Almonds These are most easily done in the blender or processor, and should always be ground ½ cup at a time for the blender (1 cup for the processor) with several tablespoons of sugar to prevent them from becoming oily and lumpy, which would make them impossible to combine with other dry ingredients.
Toasted or Grilled Almonds Spread whole, slivered, or powdered almonds in a roasting pan and set in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes. Stir them up frequently and keep an eye on them so they do not burn. They should emerge an even, light, toasty brown.
This delicious ingredient is quickly made and can be stored for weeks in a screw-topped jar. It is used in desserts and sauces, as a sprinkling for ice cream, and as a flavoring for cake icings and fillings. In France, pralin is also made with hazel nuts or a mixture of hazel nuts and almonds.
For about 1 cup
½ cup slivered or powdered almonds
Toast the almonds in a 350-degree oven as previously described.
½ cup granulated sugar
2 Tb water
An oiled marble slab or large baking sheet
Boil the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar caramelizes (see directions for caramel farther on). Immediately stir in the toasted almonds. Bring just to the boil, then pour onto the marble or baking sheet. When cold, in about 10 minutes, break the hardened mass into pieces. Pulverize in the electric blender, pound to a coarse powder in a mortar, or put it through a meat grinder.
Pulverized Macaroons
Pulverized stale macaroons may be substituted for pralin. Break macaroons into small pieces, spread them in a roasting pan, and set in a 200-degree oven for about an hour. Remove when they are fairly dry and lightly browned; they will crisp up as they cool. When crisped, pulverize them in the electric blender, pound in a mortar, or put them through a meat grinder. Store in a screw-topped jar where they will keep for weeks.
Caramel
[Caramel]
Caramel is sugar syrup cooked until it turns a light, nut brown. It is used as a flavoring or coloring, or for coating a mold.
For about ½ cup
Blend the sugar and water in the saucepan and bring to the simmer. Remove from heat, and swirl the pan by its handle to be sure that the sugar has dissolved completely and that the liquid is perfectly clear. Cover the pan tightly and boil the syrup for several minutes over moderately high heat—keep peeking, after a minute or so, and boil until the bubbles are thick. Uncover the pan and continue boiling, swirling the pan slowly by its handle. In a number of seconds the syrup will begin to color. Continue boiling and swirling a few seconds more, until it is a light caramel brown, then remove from heat and continue swirling—it will darken more. Set the bottom of the pan in cold water to cool it and stop the cooking.
Caramel Syrup
Pour ⅓ cup of water into the preceding caramel and simmer, stirring, until the caramel has dissolved.
[A Caramel-lined Mold]
Custard desserts are often baked in a mold lined with caramel so that the dessert will be covered with a brown glaze when unmolded. You may make the caramel directly in the mold when you are using a metal one such as the charlotte illustrated for soufflés. If you are using porcelain, make the caramel separately. Metal takes a caramel lining more evenly than porcelain, and the dessert is usually easier to unmold. We therefore suggest you buy metal molds if you plan to do many desserts of this type.
For a 6-cup metal mold
A plate½ cup granulated sugar or crushed sugar lumps
2 Tb water
A pan of cold water
Boil the sugar and water in the mold over moderate heat, swirling the mold frequently, until the syrup caramelizes. At once, dip the mold in the cold water for 2 to 3 seconds to cool it very slightly. Then tilt the mold in all directions to film the bottom and sides with caramel. When the caramel has ceased to run, turn the mold upside down over a plate. This is now a caramelized mold.
For a fireproof porcelain mold (or cup-custard molds or ramekins)
Make the caramel in a saucepan. While it is cooking, warm the porcelain mold in a pan of hot water; remove it as soon as the caramel is done. Pour in the caramel and tilt the mold in all directions to film its bottom and sides. When the caramel has ceased to run, reverse the mold on a plate.
Charlotte Malakoff
Some of the grand desserts such as the charlotte Malakoff, the diplomate, and the charlotte Chantilly, call for a mold lined with ladyfingers. Any kind of a cylindrical mold or dish will do for the operation, but the dessert will be more spectacular if your mold is the charlotte type 3½ to 4 inches deep, like that illustrated in the Soufflé section. Some recipes direct that the ladyfingers be dipped first in diluted liqueur; others do not. The procedure for lining the mold is the same in either case.
Warning
Do not attempt any dessert calling for a mold lined with ladyfingers unless you have ladyfingers of premium quality—dry and tender, not spongy and limp. Inferior ladyfingers, unfortunately the only kind usually available in bakeries, will debase an otherwise remarkable dessert. The recipe for homemade ladyfingers is here.
Lining the bottom of the mold
Cut the ladyfingers into a design of wedges to fit the bottom of the mold exactly. Lay them in the mold, their curved sides down.
Lining the sides of the mold
Place a row of ladyfingers upright and pressed together, their curved sides against the sides of the mold. If your mold slants outward, you may have to trim the edges of the ladyfingers to make them slightly wedge-shaped.
The mold is now ready for filling, as directed in your recipe.
Many other desserts in this chapter, besides those with ladyfingers in the preceding paragraphs, are formed or baked in a mold, and are unmolded for serving. The easiest way to unmold them is: place a serving dish upside down over the mold and reverse the two quickly so the dish rests over a flat surface, give a sharp, downward jerk to dislodge the dessert, then remove the mold.
We have specified vanilla extract in all of the dessert and cake recipes. If you prefer to use the bean, steep it for 20 minutes in whatever hot liquid you are using. Sugar with a mild vanilla flavor is made by burying a vanilla bean for a week or so in a screw-topped jar with 1 pound of granulated sugar. For a strong flavor, pulverize ½ ounce or 2 whole vanilla beans in a mortar with ¼ pound or about ¾ cup of sugar lumps, then pass through a very fine-meshed sieve. If you use an electric blender for this, allow the pulverized mixture to stand in a closed jar for a week or so before sieving it.
This provides a nice decoration and is easy to make.
For about ½ cup
5 lemons or 3 bright-skinned oranges
A vegetable peeler
1 quart of simmering water
Remove the colored part of the lemon or orange skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut into julienne strips 1½ inches long and 1/16 inch wide. Simmer in water for 10 to 12 minutes or until just tender when bitten. Drain. Refresh in cold water. Dry on paper towels.
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup water
A candy thermometer, if possible
1 tsp vanilla extract
Boil the sugar and water in a small saucepan to the thread stage (230 degrees). Remove from heat. Stir in the drained peel and the vanilla. Let the peel stand in the syrup for at least 30 minutes. Drain when ready to use. Under refrigeration, the peel will keep in the syrup for several weeks.
Be sure to measure your flour correctly. This is especially important for cakes. All recipes are based on the flour-measuring method described on this page.
Crème anglaise, a light custard sauce, and crème pâtissière, a thick custard filling, are fundamental to French desserts and pastries. Both are quick to do, and should definitely be in anyone’s repertoire.
[Light Custard Sauce]
This sauce is a blend of egg yolks, sugar, and milk stirred over heat until it thickens into a light cream. If it comes near the simmer, the yolks will scramble. Although it can be omitted, a very small amount of starch in the sauce acts as a safeguard just in case the heat becomes too much for the egg yolks. Some recipes direct that the sauce be cooked in a double boiler; this is slow work and quite unnecessary if you concentrate on what you are doing, and use a heavy-bottomed saucepan. A candy thermometer is a useful guide.
Vanilla is the basic flavoring for crème anglaise; others are added to the vanilla if you wish, such as coffee, liqueurs, or chocolate. The sauce is served either warm or chilled, depending on your dessert. Less rich than cream, crème anglaise is used on fruit desserts, molded creams, puddings, ice cream, or accompanies any dessert where it could be substituted for cream. With additional egg yolks and with heavy cream, it becomes the custard used for ice creams. Also with more egg yolks, plus gelatin, whipped cream, and flavoring, it is ready to be a Bavarian cream.
For about 2 cups
½ cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip or electric beater
Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks and continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon, this page.
Optional: 1 tsp cornstarch or potato starch
Beat in the optional starch.
While beating the yolk mixture, very gradually pour on the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets so that the yolks are slowly warmed.
A clean, heavy-bottomed enameled or stainless steel saucepan
A wooden spatula or spoon
Optional but recommended: a candy thermometer
Pour the mixture into the saucepan and set over moderate heat, stirring slowly and continuously with a wooden spatula or spoon, and reaching all over the bottom and sides of the pan, until the sauce thickens just enough to coat the spoon with a light, creamy layer. Do not let the custard come anywhere near the simmer. Maximum temperature is 165 degrees on the candy thermometer (170 if you have used starch). Then beat the sauce off heat for a minute or two to cool it. Strain it through a fine sieve, and beat in one of the flavorings at the left.
Flavorings
1 Tb vanilla extract
OR, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 Tb rum, kirsch, cognac, orange liqueur, or instant coffee
OR, 2 or 3 ounces or squares of semisweet baking chocolate melted in the boiling milk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract stirred into the finished sauce
To serve hot: Keep the sauce over warm but not hot water. If you wish, beat in 1 to 2 tablespoons of un-salted butter just before serving.
To serve cold: Set the saucepan in a pan of cold water, and stir frequently until cool. Then cover and chill.
Crème brûlée originated in England, it appears, at Christ’s College in Cambridge. Make the basic cream exactly like the preceding crème anglaise, but use half the amount of sugar, and whipping cream instead of milk. Chill in a serving dish. Rather than glazing the top of the cream with brown sugar, try spreading a ⅛-inch layer of pralin, over the cream. This would then be a crème anglaise pralinée, and is good as a dessert either by itself or served with strawberries.
[Custard Filling]
This custard is also made of egg yolks, sugar, and milk, but unlike crème anglaise, it contains flour so it may be brought to the boil, and is much thicker. The proportions of flour vary according to the use of the filling; the following recipe is designed as a base for fruit tarts. With the addition of beaten egg whites it becomes a crème Saint-Honoré and may be used as a filling for cream puffs, or may be mixed with fruit to make a quick dessert like the plombières.
For about 2½ cups
1 cup granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip or electric beater
Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks and continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon.
½ cup flour (scooped and leveled)
Beat in the flour.
2 cups boiling milk
Beating the yolk mixture, gradually pour on the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets.
A clean, heavy-bottomed 2½-quart, enameled saucepan
A wire whip
Pour into saucepan and set over moderately high heat. Stir with wire whip, reaching all over bottom of pan. As sauce comes to the boil it will get lumpy, but will smooth out as you beat it. When boil is reached, beat over moderately low heat for 2 to 3 minutes to cook the flour. Be careful custard does not scorch in bottom of pan.
Flavorings
1 Tb butter
1½ Tb vanilla extract
OR, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 2 to 3 Tb rum, kirsch, cognac, orange liqueur, or instant coffee
OR, 3 ounces or squares of semisweet baking chocolate melted with 2 Tb rum or coffee and 2 tsp vanilla extract
OR, ½ cup pulverized almonds, or pulverized macaroons, ¼ tsp almond extract, and 2 tsp vanilla extract
Remove from heat and beat in the butter, then one of the flavorings at the left. If the custard is not used immediately, clean it off the sides of the pan, and dot top of custard with softened butter to prevent a skin from forming over the surface. Crème pâtissière will keep for a week under refrigeration, or may be frozen.
A crème pâtissière with the addition of stiffly beaten egg whites is used as a filling for tarts and cream puffs, and as a dessert cream. It is flavored with chocolate, liqueurs, grated orange peel, pralin, or whatever your recipe calls for.
For 5 to 6 cups
2½ cups crème pâtissière
8 egg whites
Big pinch of salt
2 Tb granulated sugar
Make the crème pâtissière as directed in the preceding recipe. Beat in the flavorings you have chosen. Beat the egg whites and salt together until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. Stir one quarter of the egg whites into the hot custard, fold in the rest. If the cream is to be served cold, chill it in the refrigerator.
[Almond Custard Filling]
This is a very thick type of crème pâtissière with crushed macaroons or powdered almonds. Use it as a filling for crêpes or tarts. Any leftover frangipane may be mixed with an equal amount of crème pâtissière and used as a filling.
For about 2 cups
A wire whip or electric beater
1 egg
1 egg yolk
A 3-quart mixing bowl
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup flour (scooped and leveled)
1 cup boiling milk
Beat the egg and egg yolk in the mixing bowl, gradually adding the sugar, until mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon. Beat in the flour. Then beat in the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets.
Pour into saucepan and set over moderate heat. Stir slowly with the whip, reaching all over the bottom of the pan. When mixture begins to coagulate into lumps, beat it vigorously until it smooths and thickens into a stiff paste. Then over moderately low heat, beat it with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes to cook the flour thoroughly. Be careful the custard does not scorch on the bottom of the pan.
3 Tb butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
½ cup pulverized macaroons, or pulverized almonds
Optional: 2 to 3 Tb kirsch
Off heat, beat in the butter, then the flavorings, macaroons or almonds, and optional kirsch. If not used immediately, clean custard off sides of pan and dot top with softened butter to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Frangipane will keep for a week under refrigeration, or may be frozen.
Fruit sauces are made from purées of fresh or frozen fruits, or from fruit jams and jellies. They are used with ice creams, custard desserts, and various puddings.
Sauce aux Framboises
[Fresh Raspberry Sauce]
For about 2 cups
1 quart fresh strawberries or raspberries
A sieve and wooden spoon ¾ to 1¼ cups sugar (instant or very finely granulated if possible)
An electric blender or an electric beater
2 to 3 Tb kirsch, cognac, or lemon juice
Hull, wash, drain, and sieve the fruit. Add sugar to taste. Either whip for 2 to 3 minutes in a blender, or beat for 10 minutes with an electric beater. The sugar should dissolve completely; the purée will be quite thick. Beat in kirsch, cognac, or lemon juice to taste.
Made with frozen berries
Thaw the berries and drain them thoroughly. Force them through a sieve, and beat in some of their syrup to thin out the purée. Flavor with kirsch, cognac, or lemon juice.
Made with jam, preserves, or jelly (about 1 cup)
½ cup orange marmalade and ½ cup apricot preserves
OR, ½ cup strawberry or raspberry jam and ½ cup red currant jelly
2 to 3 Tb kirsch or cognac
A sieve and wooden spoon
Stir the mixture in a saucepan over moderate heat until melted. Simmer for a moment with the liqueur, then force through a sieve.
Before using apricot preserves (or jam.) in a recipe, stir it over heat, if necessary, until it has melted, then rub it through a sieve to leave the bits of skin behind. If not used immediately, it will keep almost indefinitely in its original container.
Either apricot preserves or red currant jelly contains enough pectin so that when boiled to between 225 and 228 degrees it will stiffen slightly as it cools and not be sticky to the touch. You may then use it as a glaze, paint it over the top of a tart to give brilliance and glitter, spread it over a cake to act as a simple icing, or paint it inside a baked pastry shell to provide a light waterproofing before the filling goes in.
½ cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve OR, ½ cup red currant jelly
2 Tb granulated sugar
A small saucepan
A wooden spatula or spoon
Optional: a candy thermometer
Stir the strained apricot preserves or currant jelly with the sugar over moderately high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until thick enough to coat the spoon with a light film, and the last drops are sticky as they fall from the spoon (225 to 228 degrees on a candy thermometer). Do not boil beyond this point or the glaze will become brittle when it cools.
Apply the glaze while it is still warm. Unused glaze will keep indefinitely in a screw-topped jar; reheat again before using.
CRÈME PLOMBIÈRES PRALINÉE[Caramel Almond Cream—a cold dessert]
A crème plombières is a custard filling into which beaten egg whites and a flavoring or fresh fruits are folded. It is spooned over ladyfingers or sponge-cake, then chilled. For the few minutes it takes to assemble, crème plombières makes a surprisingly attractive dessert.
For 6 servings
6 squares of stale sponge-cake or ladyfingers, about 1½ inches across and ½ inch thick
A 2-quart serving bowl about 4 inches deep or 6 dessert cups
2 Tb rum mixed with 2 Tb coffee
If the squares of cake or ladyfingers are not stale, dry them out for about an hour in a 200-degree oven. Arrange the pieces in the serving bowl, or place one in each dessert cup. Sprinkle with the rum and coffee.
⅓ cup granulated sugar
3 Tb flour
2½ cups boiling milk
1 Tb vanilla extract, or 2 tsp vanilla and 3 Tb rum
1 Tb butter
Following the procedure for crème pâtissière, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until they are pale yellow and form the ribbon. Beat in the flour. Then beat in the boiling milk by droplets. Pour into a clean saucepan and, stirring with a wire whip, boil slowly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and beat in the vanilla or rum, then the butter.
4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
3 Tb pralin (caramelized almonds), or the pulverized macaroons
Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed into the hot crème pâtissière.
2 Tb pralin or pulverized macaroons
Spoon the cream into the serving bowl or dessert cups and chill for 2 to 3 hours, or until serving time. Just before serving, sprinkle with the rest of the pralin or macaroons.
[Chocolate Cream]
Use the ingredients and method in the master recipe, but substitute chocolate for all or part of the pralin as follows:
3 ounces or squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate melted with 3 Tb rum or strong coffee, and 2 tsp vanilla extract
Beat the smooth melted chocolate into 2½ cups of hot crème pâtissière. Then fold in the beaten egg whites.
1 ounce grated or shaved semisweet baking chocolate
Just before serving, sprinkle chocolate over the cream.
[Plombières with Fresh Strawberries or Raspberries]
Use the ingredients and method in the master recipe, but substitute fresh strawberries or raspberries for the pralin. Instead of soaking the cake in rum, use kirsch or cognac diluted with water; and use kirsch or cognac plus vanilla for flavoring the cream.
You may substitute defrosted frozen fruits for fresh fruits here, but they look rather limp, especially when used for a decoration on top.
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries or whole raspberries
2 Tb instant sugar (very finely granulated)
Sprinkle fruit with sugar and let stand for 10 minutes, or until ready to use. Fold into the cream with the egg whites.
12 to 18 whole strawberries or 1 cup raspberries
2 Tb instant sugar
Sprinkle the berries with sugar, let stand for 10 minutes. Arrange over dessert just before serving.
[Plombières with Pineapple]
Follow the ingredients and method in the master recipe, but substitute pineapple for the pralin. And instead of soaking the cake in rum, use kirsch or cognac diluted with water; use kirsch or cognac, plus vanilla for flavoring the cream.
1 cup (1 No. 8Z can) crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
Drain the pineapple. Boil ⅓ cup of the syrup in a small saucepan for 5 minutes. Add the crushed pineapple and boil for 5 minutes. Drain. Stir 2 tablespoons of the syrup into the crème pâtissière. Fold in the egg whites and all but ¼ cup of the pineapple. Reserve remaining pineapple to decorate dessert just before serving.
BAVAROIS À L’ORANGEBavarian cream is a mold of crème anglaise (custard sauce) with gelatin, beaten egg whites, lightly beaten cream, and a flavoring. It is unmolded after it has been chilled, and makes a dessert as beautiful to see as it is to eat. When properly made, it has a most lovely, light, creamy, velvety quality and ranks as one of the best of the molded desserts.
We were curious to try out some recipes for Bavarian cream which claimed to produce masterpieces in seconds, so we experimented with the electric blender, raw egg yolks, cracked ice, and so forth. We also ran various changes of our own, such as substituting frozen fruits or ice cream for cracked ice. Though the molded results looked handsome, their flavor and consistency were disappointing. We have concluded that this particular masterpiece cannot be achieved in seconds; a cooked custard, well-dissolved gelatin, stiffly beaten egg whites, properly whipped cream, perfect flavoring, and then the right blending of one element into another at the right time seem to be the requisites for a true Bavarian cream. The classical method below is certainly far from difficult, and the whole dessert may be prepared the day, or even two days, before serving.
Orange Bavarian cream is our favorite. Other flavorings are suggested at the end of the recipe.
For 8 to 10 people
The orange flavoring
2 large, fine, bright-skinned oranges
2 large sugar lumps
A 4-quart mixing bowl
Wash and dry the oranges. One at a time, rub the sugar lumps over them until all sides of each lump are impregnated with orange oil. Mash the sugar lumps in the mixing bowl. Grate the orange part of the skins into the bowl.
A measuring cup
A strainer
1½ Tb (1½ packages) gelatin
Squeeze the juice of the oranges into the cup, to make ½ to ¾ cup of strained juice. Sprinkle the gelatin over the orange juice and set aside to soften.
The custard sauce
7 egg yolks
A wire whip or electric beater
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
Following the procedure for crème anglaise, add the egg yolks to the orange sugar in the mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar and continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon. Beat in the cornstarch.
1½ cups boiling milk
A 2-quart enameled saucepan
A wooden spoon
Optional: a candy thermometer
Beat the milk in a thin stream of droplets into the egg yolk mixture. Pour into saucepan and set over moderate heat. Stir with wooden spoon until mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon lightly (170 degrees). Do not overheat or egg yolks will scramble. Remove from heat and immediately add the orange juice and gelatin mixture, beating for a moment or two until gelatin has dissolved completely. Rinse out the mixing bowl and pour in the custard.
The egg whites
5 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
A rubber spatula
A bowl with a tray of ice cubes and water to cover them
Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Using the rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the hot custard. Set over the ice. Fold delicately with spatula frequently while mixture is cooling, to keep it from separating. When cold and almost but not quite set, proceed with recipe.
The whipped cream and final flavoring
½ cup chilled whipping cream
A 3-quart metal bowl
A balloon whip
2 Tb orange liqueur
An 8-cup cylindrical mold or ring mold, preferably of metal as unmolding is easier
Beat cream over the preceding bowl of ice until cream has doubled in volume and beater leaves faint traces on the surface. Fold the whipped cream and orange liqueur into the custard.
Lightly oiled waxed paper
Rinse mold in cold water and shake out excess. Turn the Bavarian cream into the mold. Cover with the waxed paper. Chill for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
Unmolding and serving
A long, thin knife
A chilled serving platter
Remove waxed paper. Dip mold in very hot water for 1 second (a second or two longer for a porcelain mold) run knife around the edge of the cream, and reverse on a chilled serving platter. (May be un-molded and refrigerated several hours before serving.)
Peeled orange segments sprinkled with orange liqueur and sugar
Serve surrounded with the orange segments.
Use the same method and ingredients as for the master recipe for Bavarian cream, but omit the orange flavoring and make the following changes.
5 egg yolks instead of 7
Fewer egg yolks are needed for the custard when chocolate is used.
½ cup strong coffee
2 tsp vanilla extract
Soften the gelatin in coffee and vanilla rather than in orange juice.
3 ounces or squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
Grate the chocolate into the 1½ cups of milk destined for the custard sauce. Heat slowly to the simmer, beating with a wire whip to blend the chocolate smoothly. Proceed with the custard sauce, beating in the coffee and gelatin at the end. Fold in the beaten egg whites and refrigerate, folding occasionally, until cool but not set.
2 Tb dark rum or orange liqueur
Rum is a more usual flavoring with chocolate, but orange liqueur may be used if you wish. Fold it in with the whipped cream, and fill the mold.
2 to 3 cups crème anglaise (custard sauce), or crème Chantilly (lightly whipped cream)
Serve chocolate Bavarian cream with crème anglaise or with crème Chantilly.
Use the same ingredients and method as for the master recipe for Bavarian cream, but omit the orange flavoring and substitute the following.
½ cup cold strong coffee
Soften the gelatin in coffee rather than in orange juice.
½ cup pralin (caramelized almonds), or pulverized macaroons
Fold the pralin or macaroons into the custard with the beaten egg whites. Chill, folding occasionally, until cool but not set.
1 Tb vanilla extract and ¼ tsp almond extract OR 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp almond extract, and 2 Tb dark rum
Fold the flavoring into the custard with the whipped cream.
2 Tb pralin or pulverized macaroons
2 to 3 cups crème anglaise (custard sauce), or crème Chantilly (lightly whipped cream)
Sprinkle the top of the Bavarian cream with pralin or macaroons just before serving. No sauce is necessary, but you may serve with it crème anglaise or crème Chantilly.
This recipe calls for raspberries or strawberries. Other fruit purées may be substituted, such as apricot, peach, or caramelized pears. Use the method and ingredients in the master recipe for Bavarian cream, but omit the orange flavoring and make the following changes.
5 egg yolks instead of 7
The fruit purée gives body to the custard, so fewer egg yolks are needed.
½ cup strawberry or raspberry juice, or orange juice
If you are using frozen berries, dissolve the gelatin in ½ cup of the juice. Otherwise use orange juice.
1 pint fresh strawberries or raspberries OR, 1 lb. frozen berries, thawed and well drained
Force the fruit through a sieve and measure out ¾ to 1 cup of purée. (Any leftover purée may go into your sauce.) Fold measured purée into the custard along with the whipped cream.
2 to 3 cups strawberry or raspberry sauce OR, 1 pint fresh strawberries or raspberries, hulled and sprinkled with sugar
Serve this Bavarian cream with strawberry or raspberry sauce, or surround the dessert with fresh berries.
Many of the recipes you will see for cold soufflés are not cold soufflés at all, but Bavarian creams. They look like soufflés because they appear to have risen several inches up beyond the rim of the mold. This effect is achieved by surrounding the mold with a paper collar which holds the cream in place until set; the paper is removed just before serving time. You may mold any of the preceding Bavarian creams this way, as well as the chocolate mousse, or the almond-cream filling for the charlottes Malakoff starting. Two recipes for actual cold soufflés are the rum and macaroon soufflé, and the caramel and almond soufflé.
Riz à l’Impératrice is one of the grand old standbys of the classic French cuisine, and has no relation, fortunately, to the dreadful rice puddings of one’s youth. It is velvet to the tongue, and is always accompanied by a decorative fruit sauce.
For 8 to 10 people
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
¾ cup (4 ounces) finely diced glacéed fruits of various colors, such as cherries, angelica, orange peel
4 Tb kirsch or cognac
1⅓ Tb (1⅓ packages) gelatin
Mix the fruits in a small bowl with the kirsch or cognac. Sprinkle on the gelatin and set aside until needed.
½ cup (4 ounces) white rice
4 quarts boiling water
Sprinkle the rice into the boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 Tb butter
A 1-quart covered, fireproof casserole
1 tsp vanilla extract
A round of buttered waxed paper
Bring milk, sugar, and butter to boil in the casserole. Stir in the rice and vanilla. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Lay paper over the rice, cover casserole, and set in preheated oven to cook very slowly for 35 to 40 minutes, until the milk has been absorbed and the rice is very tender.
5 egg yolks
A 3- to 4-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip or an electric beater
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1½ cups boiling milk
A heavy-bottomed enameled saucepan
A wooden spoon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tb apricot preserves forced through a sieve
A bowl with a tray of ice cubes and water to cover them
Meanwhile, following the procedure for crème anglaise, place egg yolks in mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue beating until mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon. Beat in the cornstarch, then the boiling milk by droplets. Pour into saucepan and stir over moderate heat until custard coats the spoon lightly (170 degrees). Do not bring near the simmer or egg yolks will curdle. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the glacéed fruits and gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin has thoroughly dissolved. Add the vanilla and apricot preserves. Stir the rice into the custard, a spoonful at a time if rice is hot. Fold delicately over the bowl of ice cubes and water until cold but not set.
Flavorless cooking oil
A 6-cup cylindrical mold about 3½ inches deep, or a ring mold
A round of oiled waxed paper
Lightly oil the inside of the mold and line the bottom with oiled waxed paper.
1 cup chilled whipping cream
A 3-quart metal bowl
A balloon whip
A round of oiled waxed paper
When the rice custard has cooled, beat the cream over the bowl of ice cubes and water until doubled in volume and beater leaves light traces on the surface. Fold into the rice custard, turn into the mold, and cover with oiled waxed paper. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
2 cups strawberry or raspberry sauce
A chilled serving platter
Optional: ⅓ cup glacéed fruits, diced or cut into fancy shapes, and steeped in 1 Tb kirsch or cognac
Remove waxed paper. Dip mold in very hot water for 1 second (a few seconds more if mold is not of metal). Run a knife around the custard, and unmold on chilled serving platter. Surround with the sauce. (NOTE: After dessert has been unmolded, you may decorate it with glacéed fruits.)
[Orange Mousse—a frozen dessert]
A becoming way to serve this delicate mousse is in the scooped-out halves of oranges.
For 6 people
3 Tb orange liqueur
A 1-quart measuring cup
3 or 4 bright-skinned oranges
½ lemon
Orange juice
Pour the liqueur into the measuring cup. Grate the colored part of the skins of 3 oranges and the ½ lemon into the cup. Strain in enough orange juice so liquid measures 2 cups.
6 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
A 3-quart mixing bowl A wire whip or electric beater
2 tsp cornstarch
A 2½-quart, heavy-bottomed enameled saucepan
A wooden spoon
Optional: a candy thermometer
Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon. Beat in the cornstarch and the orange juice mixture. Pour into the saucepan and stir over moderate heat with wooden spoon until mixture heats through and thickens, but does not come to the simmer, or a temperature of more than 170 degrees. It should coat the spoon lightly. Remove from heat and beat a moment to stop the cooking.
6 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
A bowl with a tray of ice cubes and water to cover them
Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle in the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Fold the egg whites into the hot orange mixture, and fold over the bowl of ice until thoroughly chilled so the custard will not separate.
½ cup chilled whipping cream
6 orange-shell cups, or dessert cups, or a serving bowl
Glazed orange peel, angelica cut into leaf shapes, mint leaves, or whipped cream
Beat the cream until stiff, and fold into the chilled mousse. Turn into orange-shell cups, dessert cups, or bowl. Cover and freeze for several hours or overnight.
Decorations:
Decorate the desert just before serving.
Among all the recipes for chocolate mousse this is one of the best, we think; it uses egg yolks, sugar, and butter, and instead of cream, beaten egg whites. The orange flavoring suggested here is delicious with chocolate. An interchangeable version is charlotte Malakoff, made of butter, chocolate, and powdered almonds. Either may be unmolded after chilling, or served in a bowl, or in dessert cups, or in little covered pots. (Note: When served in pots, this dessert is sometimes erroneously called pots de crème au chocolat. French dessert crèmes are custards, such as those here.)
For about 5 cups serving 6 to 8 people
A 3-quart porcelain or stainless steel mixing bowl
A wire whip or electric beater
4 egg yolks
¾ cup instant sugar (very finely granulated)
¼ cup orange liqueur
A pan of not-quite-simmering water
A basin of cold water
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is thick, pale yellow, and falls back upon itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon. Beat in the orange liqueur. Then set mixing bowl over the not-quite-simmering water and continue beating for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is foamy and too hot for your finger. Then beat over cold water for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is cool and again forms the ribbon. It will have the consistency of mayonnaise.
6 ounces or squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
4 Tb strong coffee
A small saucepan
6 ounces or 1½ sticks softened unsalted butter
Optional: ¼ cup finely diced, glazed orange peel
Melt chocolate with coffee over hot water. Remove from heat and beat in the butter a bit at a time, to make a smooth cream. Beat the chocolate into the egg yolks and sugar, then beat in the optional orange peel.
Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Stir one fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the rest.
Turn into serving dish, dessert cups, or petits pots. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2 cups vanilla-flavored crème anglaise (custard sauce), or lightly whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar
Pass the sauce or whipped cream separately.
Turn the preceding mousse into a lightly oiled, 6-cup ring mold. Cover with oiled, waxed paper. Chill for 3 to 4 hours until well set. Remove paper, dip mold for 1 second in very hot water, and unmold on a chilled serving dish. Fill center of mousse with crème anglaise or lightly whipped cream.
Or use the following charlotte Malakoff system, lining a cylindrical mold with ladyfingers dipped in orange liqueur.
CHARLOTTE MALAKOFF AUX FRAISES[Almond Cream with Fresh Strawberries—a cold dessert]
This delectable almond cream is relatively quick to assemble if you have ladyfingers on hand—but they must be of excellent quality, not the soggy, baking-powder variety. If you cannot buy them, or have not the time to make them, omit the ladyfingers altogether and turn the almond cream into a ring mold as described in the preceding paragraph, or into a serving dish, or into individual dessert cups. Although the dessert cannot then be called a charlotte Malakoff, it will still be delicious, and can be nicely decorated with fresh strawberries.
For 8 to 10 people
Preparing strawberries and lining mold
1 quart fresh strawberries
A cake rack
Hull the strawberries. Wash them quickly if necessary, and set on cake rack to drain thoroughly.
A 2-quart cylindrical mold, about 4 inches high and 7 inches in diameter
A round of waxed paper
Line the bottom of the unbuttered mold with the round of unbuttered waxed paper.
⅓ cup orange liqueur
⅔ cup water
A soup plate
24 single ladyfingers, 4 inches long and about 2 inches wide
A cake rack
Pour orange liqueur and water into soup plate. Dip in the ladyfingers, one by one, and drain on rack. Line sides of mold with ladyfingers as described. Reserve the remaining dipped ladyfingers.
The almond cream
A 4-quart mixing bowl
An electric beater or wire whip
½ lb. softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar (preferably the very finely granulated “instant” type)
½ cup orange liqueur
¼ tsp almond extract
1⅓ cups pulverized almonds
Cream butter and sugar together for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in orange liqueur and almond extract. Continue beating for several minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. Beat in the almonds.
2 cups chilled whipping cream
A chilled bowl
A chilled beater
Whip the cream until the beater, drawn across the top of the cream, leaves light traces. Fold the cream into the almond and butter mixture.
Molding and serving
A round of buttered waxed paper
A saucer which will just fit into the mold
A 1-lb. weight, or pieces of a meat grinder
Turn a third of the almond cream into the lined mold. Arrange over it a layer of strawberries, heads down. Cover them with a layer of ladyfingers. Repeat with another layer each of almond cream, strawberries, and ladyfingers. Fill the mold with the rest of the almond cream and a layer of ladyfingers if there are any left. Trim off ladyfingers around edge of mold, and press the trimmed-off bits into the top of the cream. Cover mold with the waxed paper, set saucer over the paper, and place the weight on it. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. The butter must be chilled firm, so the dessert will not collapse when unmolded.
A chilled serving platter The remaining strawberries, more if needed
2 cups crème Chantilly (lightly whipped cream), or strawberry sauce
Remove waxed paper. Run a knife around the inside of the mold, and reverse dessert on a chilled serving platter. Peel waxed paper from top, and refrigerate dessert until serving time. Decorate with strawberries and accompany with whipped cream or strawberry sauce.
Use the same method and proportions as in the preceding master recipe for charlotte Malakoff, but make the following changes for these variations:
[Almond Cream with Raspberries]
Substitute fresh raspberries for strawberries in the preceding recipe.
[Almond Cream with Chocolate]
Ingredients for the master recipe but without the strawberries
4 ounces or squares of semi-sweet chocolate melted in
¼ cup strong coffee ¼ rather than ½ cup orange liqueur for the almond cream
2 cups crème Chantilly (lightly whipped cream), or crème anglaise (custard sauce)
Following the master recipe, line the mold with ladyfingers dipped in diluted orange liqueur. Make the almond cream as directed, but fold the melted chocolate into it, and only ¼ cup of orange liqueur. Cool before folding in the whipped cream, and complete the recipe. Serve with whipped cream or custard sauce.
[Almond Custard with Chocolate]
This is lighter than the charlotte Malakoff because the base is a custard and no whipped cream is folded into it.
For 8 to 10 people
4 cups crème anglaise (custard sauce), flavored with chocolate
Prepare a chocolate-flavored custard sauce and beat over cold water, or refrigerate, until almost cold.
½ lb. unsalted butter
1⅓ cups pulverized almonds
½ tsp almond extract
2 to 3 Tb rum, kirsch, cognac, or orange liqueur
A 2-quart mold lined with ladyfingers, and extra ladyfingers as described in master recipe
2 cups crème Chantilly (lightly whipped cream)
Cream the butter and almonds together in a mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the cool custard sauce. Beat in the almond extract, and rum or liqueur to taste. Turn into lined mold, alternating with layers of ladyfingers, and chill until set. Serve with lightly whipped cream.
[Strawberry or Raspberry Cream—a cold dessert]
Here is another handsome molded dessert; this one is also relatively quick to execute. But unless the egg yolks are well thickened, and then chilled before the cream is folded in, the dessert will collapse rather quickly. If you do not wish to serve it unmolded, turn the cream into a serving bowl or into dessert cups. You may use frozen fruit instead of fresh, but be sure the fruit is well thawed and most thoroughly drained, otherwise the purée will be too liquid.
For 8 to 10 people
A round of waxed paper
A 2-quart cylindrical mold about 4 inches high and 7 inches in diameter, lined with ladyfingers
Place the round of waxed paper in the bottom of the unbuttered mold. Then line the sides of the mold (not the bottom) with upright ladyfingers as described in the directions.
1½ pints fresh strawberries or raspberries
Hull, wash, and drain the berries. Force them through a sieve and into a bowl. Measure out 1¼ cups of purée. Chill.
A wire whip or electric beater
A 3-quart stainless steel mixing bowl
⅔ cup instant sugar (very finely granulated)
8 egg yolks
A pan of not-quite-simmering water
A bowl with a tray of ice cubes and water to cover them
Beat the sugar into the egg yolks and continue beating until mixture is pale yellow and falls back on itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon. Then place the mixing bowl over the not-quite-simmering water and beat until mixture has thickened into a cream and becomes uncomfortably hot for your finger. Set bowl in ice water and beat until mixture is cold and falls back upon itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface; fold with a spatula until chilled.
2½ cups chilled heavy whipping cream
A 4-quart metal bowl
A chilled beater
When the egg yolk mixture has chilled, beat the cream until it has doubled in volume and forms stiff (rather than soft) peaks.
Extra ladyfingers, if needed
A round of waxed paper
Fold the chilled strawberry or raspberry purée into the chilled egg yolk mixture, then fold in the whipped cream. Turn into the mold. Place ladyfingers over the cream to fill the mold almost completely. Trim off any protruding ladyfingers around the edges of the mold. Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
A chilled serving dish
1 to 3 cups fresh strawberries or raspberries
Just before serving, remove waxed paper, run a knife around the edge of the mold, and reverse dessert onto a chilled serving dish. Remove waxed paper. Decorate the top of the dessert with fresh berries and, if you wish, place more berries around the dessert.
CRÈME RENVERSÉE AU CARAMELFrench custards are usually unmolded, and therefore call for more eggs and egg yolks than custards served directly from their baking dishes.
For a 1-quart mold serving 4 to 6 people
The custard mixture
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line the mold with caramel as directed. Bring the milk with the optional vanilla bean to just below the simmer in a saucepan, cover, and let the bean steep in the milk while you prepare the rest of the custard ingredients.
½ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip
1 tsp vanilla extract, if you have not used a bean
A fine-meshed sieve
Gradually beat the sugar into the eggs and egg yolks in the bowl until well mixed, light, and foamy. Continue beating while pouring on the hot milk in a thin stream of droplets. Stir in vanilla extract, if you have not used a vanilla bean. Strain the mixture through a sieve into the caramel-lined mold.
Baking the custard
Set mold in a pan and pour enough boiling water around mold to come halfway up its sides. Place in bottom third of preheated oven, close oven door, and wait for temperature to return to 350; in 5 minutes, turn oven down to 325. Water in pan should always be almost-but-not-quite simmering—too much heat and the custard will be grainy. Bake for about 40 minutes: a trussing needle or straw should come out clean when plunged 1 inch from edge of mold, but center of custard should still tremble slightly—over-long cooking makes a tough rather than tender custard.
Unmolding and serving
If you wish to serve the custard warm, set mold in a pan of cold water for about 10 minutes to firm it up; otherwise chill in the refrigerator. To unmold, run a knife between custard and edge of mold, place a serving dish upside down over the mold, quickly reverse the two, and remove the mold from the custard. If you wish, simmer 2 to 3 tablespoons of water in the mold to dissolve the remaining caramel; strain around the custard.
To serve individual unmolded custards, use the custard mixture in the preceding master recipe, and mold the custards as follows:
1 quart caramel custard mixture, the preceding recipe
8 caramel-lined, ⅔ cup ramekins
A pan to hold the ramekins
Divide the custard mixture among the ramekins and pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up; set in lower third level of a preheated 350-degree oven. In 5 minutes, turn oven down to 325 and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until a skewer or straw comes out clean when plunged one-eighth inch from edge of molds; centers should still tremble. Remove from oven, remove molds from water, and let cool. Unmold when ready to serve.
[Macaroon Cup Custards, Unmolded]
1 Tb butter
8 caramel-lined ramekins, ⅔-cup capacity
1 cup pulverized macaroons 1 quart caramel custard mixture, the master recipe
Butter the insides of the caramel-lined ramekins and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of pulverized macaroons in each. Fill with the custard mixture and bake as in the preceding directions for cup custards. You may wish to garnish them when unmolded with one of the suggestions at the left.
Optional garnishings
[Custard with Glacéed Fruits, Unmolded—a warm or cold dessert]
This delicious and most classical of French desserts does not take too long to prepare, and can be baked the day before your dinner party. The custard is baked in a mold lined with ladyfingers which must be of best quality, tender and dry, not spongy.
For 8 people
⅓ cup small, seedless raisins
A saucepan of boiling water
A small bowl
⅔ cup finely diced, mixed, glacéed fruits, such as cherries, angelica, apricots, pineapple
3 Tb dark rum or kirsch
Drop the raisins into the boiling water and let stand for five minutes. Drain, and place in the bowl. Stir in the glacéed fruits, the rum or kirsch, and let stand until ready to use.
A round of buttered waxed paper
A 6-cup cylindrical mold about 3½ inches high
Place the buttered paper in the bottom of the mold.
⅓ cup dark rum or kirsch
⅔ cup water
A soup plate
About 40 single ladyfingers, 3½ inches long and 2 inches wide (recipe for homemade ladyfingers)
A cake rack
Pour the rum or kirsch and water into the soup plate. One by one, dip 20 to 25 ladyfingers (or enough to line the mold) into the liquid. Drain on cake rack. Following directions, line the bottom and the sides of the mold with the dipped ladyfingers.
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A wire whip
2 cups milk, brought to the boil with the grated rind of 1 orange
Beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and foamy. Gradually beat in the boiling milk. Strain in the kirsch or rum from the glacéed fruits.
½ cup apricot preserves forced through a sieve
Spoon a ladleful of custard into the prepared mold. Over it sprinkle a small handful of the glacéed fruits, then 2 to 3 tablespoons of apricot preserves. Cover with 2 or 3 ladyfingers, and spoon a bit of custard over them. Wait for a moment for the ladyfingers to absorb the custard, then continue with layers of fruit, apricot preserve, ladyfingers, and custard until the mold is filled. Trim off protruding ladyfingers around edge of mold.
A pan of boiling water
Set mold in a pan of boiling water, and place in bottom third of oven. Immediately reduce heat to 325 degrees. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, making sure water in pan never comes to the simmer. When center of custard has risen very slightly and a needle or knife plunged to the bottom of the mold comes out clean, custard is done. Remove from pan of water and let cool. (May be served slightly warm, or chilled.)
Run a knife around the edge of the custard and reverse on a serving platter. Remove round of paper, and surround the dessert with the sauce.
Many people consider the desert soufflé to be the epitome and triumph of the art of French cookery, a glorious and exciting finish to a great meal. Although sweet soufflés are lighter and airier than entrée soufflés, the general idea is the same: a flavored sauce base into which stiffly beaten egg whites are incorporated. All the points discussed in the Entrée chapter regarding soufflés, apply also to sweet soufflés; these include soufflé molds, placement in the oven, testing, and serving. The discussion in that section on how to beat egg whites is of particular importance. Though you will get a soufflé of some sort no matter what you do, you will achieve magnificence only if your egg whites are beaten so they mount smoothly and stiffly to about seven times their original volume, and are then folded carefully into the sauce base so that their maximum volume is retained.
Of the three standard methods for making a soufflé base, the béchamel with its cooked roux, the crème pâtissière with its cooked egg yolks, and the bouillie used in the following recipes, we prefer the bouillie for lightness. A bouillie is milk, sugar, and flour or starch, boiled for a few seconds until thickened. After it has cooled slightly, egg yolks, butter, and flavoring are beaten in, then beaten egg whites are incorporated. Some people prefer a bouillie with flour; others use potato starch, rice starch, or cornstarch. You may take your choice except for the chocolate soufflé which requires starch. Although you can make a soufflé without starch or flour, as in the lemon soufflé tart you will find that it lacks something in texture and tenderness.
SOUFFLÉ MOLDS
Be sure to read the illustrated section on soufflé molds in the Entrée chapter.
TIMING
The following recipes for hot soufflés are based on a 6-cup mold, and, except for the chocolate soufflé, take 30 to 35 minutes to bake. Since you may fill your mold, cover it with an empty kettle, and let it wait about an hour before baking, you can time it quite accurately to coincide with dessert if you are also able to estimate the general eating-speed for the rest of the meal. In any case, no guest who knows a soufflé is in the oven should mind waiting a few minutes for dessert.
Soufflés made in a 3-cup mold take 15 to 20 minutes to bake; those in an 8-cup mold, 40 to 45 minutes. Molds larger than 8-cup capacity are difficult to time, and the soufflé is so large it may not rise satisfactorily.
SOUFFLÉ À LA VANILLE[Vanilla Soufflé]
All of the sweet soufflés with the exception of chocolate may be made according to the following vanilla soufflé formula. A fairly quick operator can make any of them ready for the oven in 20 minutes.
For 4 people
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
½ Tb softened butter
A 6-cup mold, preferably one 3½ inches deep like the charlotte. See illustrations
Granulated sugar
Measure out your ingredients. Butter the entire inner surface of the mold. Roll granulated sugar around in it to coat the sides and bottom evenly. Knock out excess sugar.
The bouillie sauce base
A wire whip
3 Tb sifted all-purpose flour
A 2½-quart enameled saucepan
¾ cup milk
⅓ cup granulated sugar
Beat the flour in the saucepan with a bit of the milk until well blended. Beat in the rest of the milk, and the sugar. Stir over moderately high heat until mixture thickens and comes to the boil. Boil, stirring, for 30 seconds. Sauce will be very thick. Remove from heat and beat for 2 minutes to cool slightly.
4 eggs
A bowl for beating egg whites
A wire whip
Separate one egg, dropping the white into the bowl, and the yolk into the center of the sauce. At once beat the yolk into the sauce with the wire whip. Continue with the rest of the eggs, one by one.
2 Tb softened butter
A rubber scraper
Beat in half the butter. Clean sauce off sides of pan with rubber scraper. Dot top of sauce with the rest of the butter to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
() If made in advance, beat over gentle heat only until sauce is barely warm to your finger, not hot. Then proceed with recipe.
The egg whites
5 egg whites (4 left over from the yolks and 1 extra white)
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
Beat the egg whites and salt together until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. (Directions for beating egg whites.)
Beat the vanilla into the sauce base. Stir in a fourth of the beaten egg whites. Delicately fold in the rest. (Illustrated directions for folding.)
Turn the soufflé mixture into the prepared mold, leaving a space of at least 1¼ inches between the top of the soufflé and the rim of the mold. If the mold is too full, the soufflé will spill over as it rises.
() If soufflé is not to be cooked immediately, set an empty kettle upside down over the mold. Filled mold can now wait for about an hour before baking.
Baking the soufflé
Powdered sugar in a shaker
Place the mold in the middle level of the preheated oven, and immediately turn down to 375 degrees. In 20 minutes, when the soufflé has begun to puff and brown, quickly sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. After a total of 30 to 35 minutes of baking, the top of the soufflé should be nicely browned, and a trussing needle, straw, or long, thin knife, plunged into the soufflé through the side of the puff, should come out clean.
Serve immediately.
All of the following variations are based on the preceding master recipe, using the same method and ingredients except for changes in flavor.
[Orange Soufflé with Cointreau, Curaçao, Grand Marnier, Etc.]
1 bright-skinned orange
2 large sugar lumps
Use the master soufflé formula. Before making the bouillie sauce base, rub the sugar lumps over the orange to extract the oil. Mash the sugar lumps, grate the orange part of the peel, add to the saucepan with the granulated sugar, and proceed with the sauce base.
2 tsp vanilla extract instead of 2 Tb
3 to 4 Tb orange liqueur
Beat the vanilla and the orange liqueur into the sauce base just before incorporating the beaten egg whites. Complete the recipe.
[Soufflé with Glacéed Fruits and Kirsch]
⅔ cup diced, mixed glacéed fruits
¼ cup kirsch
Let the glacéed fruits stand in the kirsch for half an hour.
2 tsp vanilla extract instead of 2 Tb
Using the master soufflé formula, prepare the bouillie sauce base. Just before incorporating the beaten egg whites, drain the fruits and beat their kirsch maceration into the sauce base with the vanilla.
Turn a third of the soufflé mixture into the prepared mold. Sprinkle half of the glacéed fruits on top. Cover with half the remaining soufflé mixture, then with the rest of the fruits, and finally the last of the soufflé mixture.
[Coffee Soufflé]
Use the master soufflé formula, but before making the bouillie sauce base:
3 Tb coffee beans
OR, 1 Tb instant coffee
Either bring ½ cup of the milk to the boil with coffee beans, cover and steep for 5 minutes, then strain into the milk and flour paste, beating thoroughly; or beat instant coffee into ½ cup of boiling milk.
1 Tb vanilla extract rather than 2 Tb
Then proceed with the recipe, beating the vanilla into the sauce base before incorporating the beaten egg whites.
[Soufflé with Caramelized Almonds or Macaroons]
Use the master soufflé formula.
Stir the vanilla and the pralin or macaroons into the bouillie sauce base just before incorporating the beaten egg whites.
[Almond Soufflé]
Almonds may be added to any soufflé, and are especially good with coffee, orange, or chocolate, as well as with vanilla.
Use the master soufflé formula.
Stir the vanilla and almond extracts and almonds into the bouillie sauce base just before incorporating the beaten egg whites.
[Half-and-half Soufflé]
For two kinds of soufflé cooked in the same mold, use vanilla, and coffee, pralin, or orange. Chocolate will not do, as it cooks in a different manner.
Divide the sauce base into the two bowls.
5 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
Beat the egg whites and salt together until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.
1 Tb vanilla extract
Beat the vanilla flavoring into one bowl, and fold in half the beaten egg whites.
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp instant coffee mixed with 1 Tb boiling water
Beat the vanilla extract and coffee into the other bowl, and fold in the remaining egg whites.
A 6-cup soufflé mold prepared as in the master recipe
½ cup pulverized macaroons, moistened with 2 Tb orange liqueur
Turn half the vanilla soufflé mixture into the prepared mold. Sprinkle with a third of the macaroons and liqueur mixture. Spread half of the coffee soufflé over this, then sprinkle on more macaroons. Continue with the remaining vanilla soufflé, macaroons, and the last of the coffee soufflé.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a preheated, 375-degree oven as for the master recipe.
[Chocolate Soufflé]
Chocolate needs special treatment for soufflés because it is heavy. Although the formula in our first edition produced a dramatic puff, it was far too fragile. In this new version, you fold the chocolate mixture into a meringue—that is, rather than adding the sugar to the sauce base, you whip it into the egg whites, thereby firming them up. Just this simple change in method gives the soufflé staying power so that instead of collapsing rather rapidly into a pudding, it stays up and retains its primal soufflé character.
For 6 to 8 people
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
7 ounces or squares of semi-sweet or sweet baking chocolate
⅓ cup strong coffee
A small saucepan with cover set in a larger pan of almost simmering water
Place the chocolate and coffee in the small pan, cover, and set in the larger pan of almost simmering water. Remove from heat and let the chocolate melt while you proceed with the recipe.
½ Tb softened butter
A 2- to 2½-quart soufflé dish or straight-sided baking dish 7 ½ to 8 inches in diameter
Smear the inside of the dish with the butter. Surround with a collar of buttered aluminum foil (double thickness) to reach 3 inches above the rim of the dish. Set out all the rest of the ingredients called for.
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
A 2-quart saucepan
A wire whip
2 cups milk
3 Tb butter
Measure the flour into the saucepan. Start whisking in the milk by dribbles at first to make a perfectly smooth cream; rapidly whisk in the rest. Add the butter, and stir over moderate heat until boiling; boil, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and beat 1 minute or so to cool slightly.
One by one, whisk the egg yolks into the hot sauce, then the smoothly melted chocolate, and finally the vanilla.
() If you are not continuing within 5 to 10 minutes, lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.
6 egg whites (¾ cup)
⅛ tsp salt
½ cup sugar
Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed. Then, by sprinkles, beat in the sugar and continue until stiff shining peaks are formed.
Scrape the chocolate mixture into the side of the egg white bowl; delicately fold them together. Turn the soufflé mixture into the prepared mold and set on a rack in the lower level of the preheated oven. Turn thermostat down to 375 degrees.
Powdered sugar in a sieve or shaker
Serving suggestions: 2 cups of sweetened whipped cream, crème anglaise, or vanilla ice cream
In 35 to 40 minutes, when soufflé is well risen and the top has cracked, rapidly sprinkle the surface with powdered sugar; continue baking another 5 to 10 minutes. Soufflé is still creamy at the center when a skewer plunged down through a surface crack comes out slightly coated. It is fully done and will stand up well (if that is how you like it) when the skewer comes out clean. Serve at once with one of the suggestions listed.
() When turned into its baking dish, the soufflé may be covered loosely with a sheet of foil and set in a draft-free part of the kitchen for an hour or more before being baked.
For 6 to 8 people
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter the inside of the caramel-lined mold.
A wire whip or electric beater
1½ cups (8 ounces) pulverized macaroons
¼ cup dark rum
A 3-quart mixing bowl
¾ cup milk brought to the boil with ¼ cup granulated sugar
Beat the macaroons and rum together in the mixing bowl while pouring on the hot milk and sugar, and continue beating for 1 minute.
4 egg yolks
One by one, beat in the egg yolks until blended with the macaroons.
4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.
A rubber spatula
Fold the egg whites into the macaroon mixture, being sure the mixture, which is very liquid, is thoroughly but delicately blended with the egg whites. Turn into prepared mold which will be filled by about two thirds.
A pan containing enough boiling water to come halfway up outside of mold
Place mold in pan of boiling water; set in lower third of preheated, 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue baking about 35 minutes more. Soufflé will rise about to the top of the mold. It is done when it shows a faint line of shrinkage from the sides of the mold.
Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. The soufflé will sink down as it cools, and shrink more from the mold. When chilled, reverse on the serving dish. Simmer 2 tablespoons of water in the mold to dissolve the remaining caramel; allow to cool for a moment, then pour the caramel syrup over the soufflé. Surround with the sauce, and serve.
French floating island can be either a layered cake covered with whipped cream and surrounded by custard sauce, or a meringue. We have chosen the meringue because it is light, delicious, and so very easy to do in the electric mixer. The addition of pralin gives texture and flavor as well as providing a ready-made sauce, allowing you to dispense with the traditional crème anglaise if you wish. (Those little mounds of egg white floating on custard may be English floating islands, but are French oeufs à la neige.)
For 6 to 8 people
A heavily buttered, 2-quart baking dish or charlotte mold 3½ to 4 inches deep
2 to 3 Tb sugar
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Roll sugar in the buttered mold, knock out excess, and set mold aside.
An electric mixer with 2½- to 3-quart bowl
8 egg whites (1 cup) at room temperature
⅛ tsp salt
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 cup instant or very finely granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pralin (caramelized almonds)
A rubber spatula
Beat egg whites at moderate speed until they are frothy, then beat in the salt and cream of tartar. Gradually increase speed to fast and when egg whites form soft peaks start beating in the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Continue beating until egg whites form stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla. Remove bowl from stand and fold in the pralin ¼ cup at a time with the rubber spatula.
Spread lightly in dish, which it will overfill by ¼ inch or so; smooth exposed sides and top with spatula. Bake in lower third of preheated, 250-degree oven for about 25 minutes, until meringue has colored slightly and risen about ½ inch. (It should be cooked enough so that meringue can hold its shape for unmolding; its rise indicates this.) Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least an hour so that it will settle.
Set cover or plate askew over mold and drain accumulated caramel liquid into a small bowl. Unmold dessert onto serving plate. Sprinkle top with pralin, and pour the caramel around. Pass optional custard sauce separately.
This extremely good dessert is a thick, rum- and apricot-flavored apple purée piled into a cylindrical mold which has been lined with butter-soaked strips of white bread. It is baked in a very hot oven until the bread is golden brown, and is then unmolded. For the sake of drama, the mold should be 3½ to 4 inches high. Be sure to pick the right cooking apples and that your purée is very thick indeed, or the dessert will collapse when unmolded.
For 6 to 8 people
6 lbs. firm nonjuicy cooking apples (Golden Delicious are always reliable)
A heavy-bottomed stainless or enameled pan 12 inches across
A wooden spoon
Quarter, peel, and core the apples. Slice them roughly into ⅛-inch pieces. You should have about 4 quarts. Place in pan, cover, and cook over very low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
½ cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup dark rum
3 Tb butter
Uncover and beat in the apricot preserves, sugar, vanilla, rum, and butter. Raise heat and boil, stirring almost continuously until water content has all but evaporated—20 minutes or more. The purée should be a very thick and fairly stiff paste which holds itself in a solid mass in the spoon.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
10 to 12 slices of homemade-type white bread, 4 inches square and ¼ inch thick
A 6-cup, fireproof, cylindrical mold about 3½ inches high
1 cup clarified butter
Remove crusts. Cut a square and 4 semicircles of bread to fit the bottom of the mold exactly. Sauté to a very light golden color in 3 or 4 tablespoons of the clarified butter. Fit them into the bottom of the mold. Cut the rest of the bread into strips 1¼ inches wide. Dip in clarified butter and fit them, overlapping each other, around the inner circumference of the mold. Trim off protruding ends.
Pack the apple purée into the mold, allowing it to form a dome about ¾ inch high in the middle. (It will sink as it cools.) Cover with 4 or 5 butter-dipped bread strips. Pour any remaining clarified butter over the ends of the bread around the edges of the mold.
A pan
A serving platter
Set in a pan (to catch butter drippings) and bake in middle level of preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Slip a knife between bread and sides of mold; if bread is golden brown, the charlotte is done. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Reverse the mold on a serving platter and lift the mold up a few inches to see if the sides of the dessert will hold. If there is any suggestion of collapse, lower the mold over the dessert again; it will firm up as it cools. Test after 5 minutes or so, until the mold can safely be removed.
½ cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve
3 Tb dark rum
2 Tb granulated sugar
Optional: 2 cups crème anglaise (custard sauce), or 2 cups lightly whipped cream flavored with rum and powdered sugar
Boil the apricot, rum, and sugar until thick and sticky. Spread it over the charlotte. Serve the dessert hot, warm, or cold, with the optional sauce or cream.
[Applesauce Caramel Mold—a warm or cold dessert]
This is a much lighter dessert than the apple charlotte, and also much easier to prepare.
For 6 people
4 lbs. crisp cooking or eating apples
A heavy-bottomed enameled pan (saucepan, casserole, or skillet) about 10 inches in diameter
Peel and core the apples. Slice them roughly into ⅛-inch pieces. You should have about 10 cups. Place them in the pan; cover and cook over very low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
¼ tsp cinnamon.
The grated peel of 1 lemon
½ cup granulated sugar
Beat the cinnamon, lemon peel, and sugar into the apples. Raise heat and boil, stirring, for 5 minutes or so, until the apples have reduced to a thick purée which will hold its shape in the spoon. You should have about 4 cups of applesauce.
¼ cup rum, cognac, or excellent apple brandy
4 Tb butter
4 eggs
1 egg white
Remove from heat and stir in the rum or brandy, then the butter. One by one, beat in the eggs, then the egg white.
A 6-cup, fireproof, cylindrical mold lined with caramel
A lid or a plate
A deep saucepan or kettle Boiling water
Turn the apple mixture into the caramel-lined mold. Cover with lid or plate, and set in the saucepan or kettle. Pour boiling water around the outside of the mold to come up to the level of the apple mixture. Place in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate oven heat to maintain water almost at the simmer. The dessert is done in 1 to 1½ hours, when it begins to shrink from the sides of the mold and the top, all except for a small area in the very center, is set.
A serving dish
To serve warm, remove the mold from the saucepan or kettle and allow the dessert to cool for 20 minutes. Then reverse it on a serving dish. To serve cold, chill the dessert 4 to 5 hours or overnight. Then run a knife around the edge of the dessert and reverse on a serving dish; in a few minutes it will dislodge itself from the mold.
4 Tb rum, cognac, or apple brandy
2 cups lightly whipped cream flavored with powdered sugar and rum or brandy, or 2 cups crème anglaise (custard sauce)
Simmer the rum or brandy in the mold to dissolve any remaining caramel, and strain over the dessert. Surround the dessert with the whipped cream or sauce.
This simple apple dessert is always better if prepared the day before it is eaten, as a good 24 hours are needed for a slow blending of flavors.
For 6 to 8 people
2½ lbs. firm cooking apples (Golden Delicious)
Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut into ¼-inch lengthwise slices. You should have about 7 cups.
4 to 5 Tb butter
A 10- to 12-inch skillet
A lightly buttered baking dish, 8 to 9 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep
Sauté the apples, one layer at a time, in hot butter until they are very lightly browned on both sides and tender, but retain their shape. As they are done, place them in the baking dish.
¾ cup plum jam, forced through a sieve
2 Tb rum
A rubber spatula
